Dr. Julie Sanchez, Pediatric Surgeon and co-founder of Spoonie Threads, shares her insight for parents working with g-tubes (also known as g-buttons or Mic-Keys) on their little ones.
Read on for more info, and share your questions for Dr. Sanchez in the blog comments below!
Q: How often should a g-tube be changed?
Dr. Sanchez : Most g-buttons should be changed out every 6 months and usually upsized once a year.
Q: Do you recommend venting the b-gutton?
Dr. Sanchez: Venting before feeds can help your child tolerate his feed better, especially if your child has a fundoplication or a wrap.
Q: My son pulled out his g-tube and I see discoloration in the balloon? Can I put it back in or is it normal due to stomach contents.
Dr. Sanchez: If you check the water in the balloon and it's discolored, it likely has a leak. I recommend changing out the g-button. Read more about how to prevent leaking here. I remind parents to keep the site dry and tubes secured with the snaps. Most g-buttons are accidently pulled out by caregivers.
Q: What to do about developed Granulation Tissue?
Dr. Sanchez: The surrounding skin around granulation tissue is fragile and can ooze, bleed, drain, or cause the button to have a poor fit and leak. It is important to keep a properly fit G-button in place to prevent granulation tissue. There are many ways to treat granulation tissue from ointments to cauterization. A G-tube pad can help absorb some of the drainage and provide comfort. Again, it is important for the pad to be kept dry and change the pad when it is wet or moist to prevent further skin breakdown.
Hypertrophis Scar may develop around a healing wound.
See also: Swimming with a G-tube
Dr. Julie Sanchez is a general & pediatric surgeon in Austin, Texas. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, completed her residency in general surgery at SUNY Brooklyn/Kings County Hospital, and her fellowship in pediatric trauma at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Sanchez is part of a successful surgical practice in Austin, TX affiliated with Dell Children’s Hospital and has joined UT Dell Medical School as an affiliate professor.
Informational Resources
St. Jude's Children's Hospital: What is Gastrostomy?
WebMD Feeding Tubes
Living With Tube Feeding
Follow At-Home Guide for Newly Created Gastrostomy Tubes
Blogs and Communities
G-Tube Babies Facebook Group
Adult Tube Feeding Facebook Group
She Got Guts Blog
The Tube Fed Wife
Singing Through the Rain
Organizations
Feeding Tube Awareness
The Oley Foundation
Inside Out Care
Swallowing Disorder Foundation
Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Associates
Feeding Matters
FirstStages Feeding Specialists
Pediatric Feeding Association
